Heat dissipating apparatus for interface cards

ABSTRACT

A heat dissipation apparatus mounted onto an interface card includes a radiator, a heat conductive tube located on the radiator and an airflow generator located on the radiator. The apparatus can discharge heat generated by the interface card outside the computer casing so that the heat is not trapped inside the computer casing thereby to achieve effective heat dissipation.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat dissipating apparatus for interface cards and particularly a heat dissipating apparatus mounted onto an interface card for discharging heat generated by the interface card outside the computer casing to achieve heat dissipation effect.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In computer products, heat dissipation is a problem that often baffles users. The computers often malfunction or not able to operate due to overheating. Thus heat dissipation has become a critical issue most vendors are trying to resolve. Conventional heat dissipation apparatus include radiation sheets, air fans and heat conductive tubes. The radiation sheet usually has a plurality of metal fins located on one side thereof to reduce the temperature of computer devices. The commonly used one is passive radiation sheet. It can generate convection or does not need additional airflow to disperse heat. The radiation sheet mainly aims at increasing the radiation area. While the radiation sheet can increase the radiation area, heat energy still has to be discharged by airflow in the surroundings. The air fan aims at improving heat discharge. In general, the air fan generates airflow to carry heat energy away from the radiation sheet. The conductive tube is an advanced technique adopted on electronic devices. It is made from pure oxygen-free copper tubes and copper meshes filled with pure water or acetone as working fluid. The fluid at the heat receiving end is vaporized to become vapor phase. The vapor flows in the hollow tube to a cooling end to be cooled and condensed to the fluid phase again. The condensate is seeped and returns to the heat receiving end through capillarity effect to complete the heat absorption and discharge cycle. By means of the phase changes of the working fluid, a great amount of heat energy can be transferred by a small temperature difference. However, all the heat dissipation techniques mentioned above neglect to discharge heat energy outside the machine casing. As a result, the discharged heat energy still remains inside the machine casing, and heat dissipation is not very effective.

[0003] In general, in computer systems, CPU, disk drives and display cards are the devices that generate most heat. However most vendors have mainly focused on providing solutions for heat dissipation of the CPU and disk drives. Screen is a device that consumes greatest electric power, hence heat energy generation from the display card also is significant. If the heat energy generated by the display card cannot be discharged effectively, performance and service life of the display card will be severely affected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Therefore the primary object of the invention is to resolve the aforesaid disadvantages. The invention provides a heat dissipation apparatus on the interface card to discharge heat energy generated by the interface card outside the computer casing so that heat generated by the interface card won't be trapped inside the computer casing thereby to achieve effective heat dissipation and improve operation stability and service life of the interface card.

[0005] In order to achieve the foregoing object, the heat dissipation apparatus of the invention includes a radiator, a heat conductive tube located on the radiator and an airflow generator located on the radiator. The radiator is mounted onto an interface card to discharge heat generated by the interface card outside the computer casing so that the heat is not trapped inside the computer casing to achieve effective heat dissipation.

[0006] The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the heat dissipation apparatus of the invention.

[0008]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the invention according to FIG. 1.

[0009]FIG. 3 is a top view of the invention according to FIG. 1.

[0010]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the invention in use.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0011] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the heat dissipation apparatus of the invention includes a radiator 1, a heat conductive tube 2 located on the radiator 1 and an airflow generator 3 located on the radiator 1. The apparatus is mounted onto an interface card (not shown in the drawings) for discharging heat generated by the interface card (such as a VGA display card or other expansion cards) outside the computer casing (not shown in the drawings) so that heat is not trapped inside the computer casing to achieve effective heat dissipation.

[0012] The radiator 1 has a first radiation section 11 located on one side thereof with a plurality of first radiation fins 12 located thereon. The first radiation fins 12 have a first recess 13. The radiator 1 also has a second radiation section 14 located on another side with a plurality of second radiation fins 15 located thereon. The second radiation fins 15 have a second recess 16. The radiator 1 further has a third radiation section 17 located on yet another side corresponding to the second radiation fins 15. Between the second radiation section 14 and the third radiation section 17, there is a housing space 18 for housing the airflow generator 3. The housing space 18 has at least one aperture 19 for fastening the airflow generator 3 in the housing space 18 through fasteners 10.

[0013] The heat conductive tube 2 is known in the art, thus its details are omitted here. The heat conductive tube 2 is filled with working fluid inside (not shown in the drawings). It has one end forming a hear receiving section 21 located in the second recess 16 and another end forming a cooling section 22 located in the first recess 13. When the heat receiving section 21 receives heat from the radiator 1, the working fluid in the heat receiving section 21 vaporizes to the vapor phase. The vapor flows in the hollow tube of the heat conductive tune 2 to the cooling section 22 and to be cooled and condensed to liquid phase. The cooled working fluid flows back to the heat receiving section 21 because of capillarity effect, thus completes a heat absorption and discharging cycle.

[0014] The airflow-generator 3 is a general radial fan or an axial flow fan located in the housing space 18. Airflow generated by the airflow generator 3 flows to the first radiation section 11 to discharge heat absorbed by the first radiation section 11 through channels formed by the first radiation fins 12 outside the computer casing to achieve effective heat dissipation. The construction set forth above forms a novel heat dissipation apparatus for the interface card.

[0015] Referring to FIG. 3, the heat conductive tube 2 and the airflow generator 3 are installed on the radiator 1. Heat absorbed by the second radiation fins 15 of the second radiation section 14 of the radiator 1 is transferred to the heat receiving section 21 of the heat conductive tube 2, and the working fluid inside the heat receiving section 21 receives the heat and vaporizes to become vapor phase. The vapor flows in the hollow tube of the heat conductive tube 2 to the cooling section 22. Meanwhile, airflow generated by the airflow generator 3 flows to the first radiation section 11 and the cooling section 22. Heat discharged from the cooling section 22 is dispelled outside the computer casing through the channels formed by the first radiation fins 12 of the first heat radiation section 11. The cooling section 22 cools and condenses the working fluid to liquid phase. Then the cooled working fluid flows back to the heat receiving section 21 because of capillarity effect to completes one heat absorption and discharging cycle. The process is repeatedly carried out to discharge heat generated by the interface card outside the computer casing, and prevent the heat generated by the interface card from being trapped inside the computer casing. Thus the interface card can operate in a stable manner and service life of the interface can increase.

[0016] Refer to FIG. 4 for the invention in use. The heat dissipation apparatus of the invention is directly mounted onto an interface card 4 (VGA card). The radiator absorbs heat generated by the interface card 4 and discharges the heat through the first radiation section 11 of the radiator 1 outside the computer casing so that heat generated by the interface card is not trapped inside the computer casing to ensure that the interface card can operate in a stable manner and service life of the interface can increase.

[0017] Moreover, a lid 5 may be mounted onto the radiator 1 to enable the first radiation section 11 of the radiator 1 to form a closed condition. And heat may be discharged smoothly through the channels formed by the first radiation fins 12 of the first radiation section 11 outside the computer casing. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A heat dissipating apparatus for interface cards adopted for use on an interface card for discharging heat generated by the interface card outside a computer casing, comprising: a radiator having a first radiation section located on one side thereof, a second radiation section located on another side, a third radiation section located on yet another side thereof corresponding to the second radiation fins, and a housing space located between the second radiation section and the third radiation section, the first radiation section and the second radiation section having respectively a recess; a heat conductive tube having two ends formed respectively a heat receiving section and a cooling section locating in the recess; and an airflow generator located in the housing space; wherein the heat receiving section receives heat from the radiator to vaporize working fluid in the heat conductive tube to vapor phase which flows to the cooling section to release the heat and is cooled by the airflow generator, the released heat being discharged outside the computer casing through the first radiation section, and the cooled working fluid flowing to the heat receiving section through capillarity effect such that the vaporizing and cooling are repeated continuously to disperse heat generated by the interface card.
 2. The heat dissipating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the a first radiation section, the second radiation section and the third radiation section have respectively a plurality of radiation fins located thereon.
 3. The heat dissipating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing space has at least one fastening aperture.
 4. The heat dissipating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the airflow generator is selectively a radial fan or an axial flow fan.
 5. The heat dissipating apparatus of claim 1 further having a lid to cover the radiator. 